At session, Canada, China point fingers over human-rights violations

GENEVA – Canada and 40 other countries on Tuesday called on China to provide “immediate, meaningful and unrestricted access” to allow independent observers to visit its western region of Xinjiang, while a Chinese envoy demanded that the Canadian authorities “stop human rights abuses in their own country “.

The mutual pointing that preceded the Canadian envoy’s admission of deficiencies in their country’s human rights record came in a debate in the Human Rights Council, the United Nations’ highest human rights body.

The largely virtual council showdown revealed a lingering rift between the West and China’s allies, who are increasingly pushing back criticism of its human rights record.

Chinese envoy Jiang Duan railed against Canada’s past mistreatment of indigenous peoples and the recent discovery of the remains of more than 200 children in an indigenous boarding school in Canada.

He called for a “thorough and impartial investigation” into cases of crimes against indigenous peoples and accused of racism and xenophobia in Canada.

“We urge Canada to end human rights abuses immediately,” he said, adding that UN bodies “should continue to monitor human rights issues in Canada.”

“Canada has also repeatedly used human rights as a tool to advance its political agenda,” Jiang said.

Canada issued a statement from 41 predominantly Western countries reflecting widespread concern from human rights groups about detention centers in Xinjiang where hundreds of thousands of Muslim Uyghurs and other minorities are held.

“We urge China to give independent observers, including the High Commissioner, immediate, meaningful and unrestricted access to Xinjiang,” Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton said, referring to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

Bachelet’s office has been trying to arrange a visit to Xinjiang since her term began in 2018, and she said Monday she hoped to visit by the end of the year.

Norton cited “credible reports” that over a million people in Xinjiang have been arbitrarily detained – some have been tortured and others have been treated “inhumanly” – and that Uyghurs and others are subject to disproportionate surveillance and restrictions on their culture.

China has insisted that the centers be used for training and counter-terrorism in Xinjiang.

The Norton Declaration also called for an end to the “arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities” and raised human rights concerns in Hong Kong and Tibet.

China’s declaration on Canada was made on behalf of several other countries, including Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Iran and Syria.

“We recognize that Canada has historically denied the rights of indigenous peoples through assimilationist policies and practices,” said Norton.

“We know the world expects Canada to abide by international human rights standards. We expect no less of us, either.”

Canada held its Indigenous Peoples Day national holiday on Monday.

Cowichan Tribe member Benny George holds his child Bowie, 3, on his shoulders as they listen during a ceremony and vigil for the 215 children whose remains are buried in the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Vancouver, British Columbia, on National Indigenous Peoples were found Day, Monday, June 21, 2021. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press via AP)

Zachary Orchard of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation on the Manitoba-Ontario border listens during a ceremony and vigil to the 215 children whose remains were found buried in the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Vancouver, British Columbia, on National Indigenous Peoples Day , Monday, June 21, 2021. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press via AP)

Zachary Orchard of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation on the Manitoba-Ontario border poses for a photo as he participates in a ceremony and vigil for the 215 children whose remains are buried at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Vancouver, British Columbia were found. on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Monday, June 21, 2021. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press via AP)